During the last weeks we discussed in forth and back how we want to travel and what we want to bring with us.
The first idea was to buy a little bus and simply drive, than wouldn’t have to think about what to pack but just stuff everything into it. However, how to get the bus across the pacific and the atlantic? we dropped this idea pretty fast. Than we discussed taken the bikes, but this is soooo limiting, so we decided to do it the classical way and to travel with a backpack. This decision resulted in the big challenge what to pack. We forced us through several travel pack list, excluded the tent and the cooking equipment (just to heavy and too easy to buy, when you need it), but included the sleeping back (I kind of like my own and spent a lot of time selecting it) and came up with the following things. I will give you the full list including the purpose of things and if I am not to lazy you will get a the same list with the real use of things at the end of our journey.
Content of Steffi’s backpack.
Content of Tom’s backpack.
Steffi (Tom)
Talisman For all the challenges waiting on our journey.
Two protecting angles, two naughty owls and a small version of our travel destiny that will remind us of friends and family.
1 pair flip-flops Short city walking in warm weather and
showering.
1 pair trekking boots Long and cross country walking and for cold
conditions.
4 pair trekking socks Going together with the trekking boots.
1 pair long trekking trousers insect tight Colder conditions and as insect repellent
during the evening hours.
1 pair short trousers (trunks) Warm conditions (hopefully 90% of the time).
1 pair short sport trousers (same trunks) Strength exercises and running on the beach
3 shirts (merino wool) 24/7, light, fast drying and odourless
1 fleece jacket (shirt + Softshell jacket) Warm and cosy for any cold nights in
Mongolia.
1 rain jacket In case its raining.
1 pair rain trousers In case its raining heavily.
2 jogging bra (Tom only brings one). Useful for every action also riding an
elephant in Cambodia.
5 panties (boxer shorts) I guess you can get what they are used for.
1 Buff (merino wool) For the chilly wind in Siberia.
1 Cap I case I freeze on my ears.
1 Bikini (still the same trunks) All the sandy beaches.
Sun glasses Sure we only travel under summer conditions.
Travel towel To have something to lay on at the beach.
Electronic tooth brush & accessory Brushing teeth ;).
Hairbrush (nothing) I grew rather long hair after all.
Shampoo You know the commercial, where sweaty girls
arrive in some village, wash their hair, turn
around and all guys look at them. Kind off.
Face creme (nivea creme) For the days where the sand from desert Gobi
drys out our skin.
Wet wipes Sure there are some days without a shower.
All this Deo and similar stuff Try to stay in some form civilised.
3 credit cards (the same number) 1 to withdraw cash, 1 to get lost, and 1 get to
get locked by the bank
1 passport + copy Including Visa to get in all the communistic
countries.
2 ID cards One as back up, and an old one to fake a
wallet for thieves.
1 drivers licence Rent a car for travelling.
1 international drivers licence Goes together with the real one.
11” Notebook Writing this blog for you guys and watching
movies in silent nights.
eBook reader Killing the hours in trains and busses.
iPhone Replacement cam in case the big one gets
stolen.
Nothing (really nice camera) Taking pictures of everything so you can get
envious ups sorry inspired.
Nothing (2 x Backup drive) To safe all the nice pictures
Nothing (Rasberry pie) Just because we (Tom) can.
World adapter
and all the charging equipment For charging all this electronic stuff.
Knitting stuff (see electronic equipment) Knitting small animals for the sweet kids we
will meet in the transib.
One of the little cute animals.
Coffee Thermocup For the cold days in Mongolia, where you
want to keep your coffee warm.
Documents Bus and train tickets for the first week of
traveling to get started somehow.
Travelsheet For all the situations where blankets in Hostels
are kind of disgusting (Insectshield, so Tom
does not have to worry about Mosquitos).
Sleeping bag Because Steffi still dreams about a walking
trip in Nepal, where they would be handy.
Swiss knife This is always handy, when you don’t have a
kitchen to prepare your sandwich.
Lighter I case we get lost and need to switch on a
bonfire.
Plastic box We got one that you can close tight to
transport some not completely dry food stuffs.
and it can be used as a plate and a bowl.
Spork When you have soup in your box you might
prefer a spoon instead of slurping.
Rope In the cases you need something to hang up
wet cloth.
3 pens For writing notes
2 note books To have paper for writing notes.
Safety belt (Neck wallet) To store credit and ID cards while exploring a
city. (Make it harder for Tom to loose his credit
card.)
Licorice Got it as a goodbye present and will probably
irritate some russian people with it.
Danish coins I heard russian people collect forge in coins and
euros are jet so boring.
And our travel pharmacy that needs it’s own section.
All the stuff, that we hopefully won’t need.
Sun protection
Something hard against Mosquitos
Some vitamins
Probiotics (Chr. Hansen)
Clean syringes and needles
Tape for wounds and bandages
Gauze bandage
Elastic bandage
Desinfection tissues
Sterile pads
Blister tape
Gold folie blankets
Triangular bandage
Thermometer
Fenistile Creme against Mosquito bits
Creme against fungi
Beatisadonna and Bepanten for wounds
Voltaren against pain
Aspirin against fever
Further pain killers
Pills against diarreah
Malaria pills
Broadband antibiotic
Bonbons against sore throat
Dros against inflamed eyes
Drops against inflamed ears
Nasal spray
Personal medicine
The whole pharmacy weighs about two kg, anyway I hope we won’t need it.